Patents by Inventor Steve Tengler

Steve Tengler has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8854198
    Abstract: A forward vehicle brake warning system includes an incoming message receiving component, an adverse driving condition obtaining component, an incoming message relevancy component, a relevancy adjustment component and a driver warning component. The incoming message receiving component is configured to receive hard brake messages from neighboring vehicles located within a prescribed communication region around a host vehicle. The adverse driving condition obtaining component is configured to receive driving condition information affecting drivability of the host vehicle. The incoming message relevancy component is configured to perform a relevancy determination of the hard brake messages. The relevancy adjustment component is configured to adjust the relevancy determination to selectively filter the hard brake messages received depending upon the driving condition information. The driver warning component configured to alert a driver of the host vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Tengler, Ronald Heft
  • Patent number: 8655543
    Abstract: A vehicle on-board unit communicates with vehicles to increase the accuracy of lane centerline determination. The on-board unit includes a communication system and a controller. The controller has a vehicle path history generating component, a lane centerline determining component, and a message processing component. The vehicle path history generating section generates a host vehicle path history data. The lane centerline determining section receives a preceding vehicle message including at least a preceding vehicle centerline data from the communication system and determines a host vehicle lane centerline data indicative of a centerline of the lane based on the host vehicle path history data and the preceding vehicle centerline data. The message processing component produces a host vehicle message including the host vehicle lane centerline data, the communication system being configured to broadcast the host vehicle message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Tengler, Ronald Heft
  • Publication number: 20130253777
    Abstract: A vehicle on-board unit communicates with vehicles to increase the accuracy of lane centerline determination. The on-board unit includes a communication system and a controller. The controller has a vehicle path history generating component, a lane centerline determining component, and a message processing component. The vehicle path history generating section generates a host vehicle path history data. The lane centerline determining section receives a preceding vehicle message including at least a preceding vehicle centerline data from the communication system and determines a host vehicle lane centerline data indicative of a centerline of the lane based on the host vehicle path history data and the preceding vehicle centerline data. The message processing component produces a host vehicle message including the host vehicle lane centerline data, the communication system being configured to broadcast the host vehicle message.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve TENGLER, Ronald HEFT
  • Patent number: 8483903
    Abstract: A vehicle on-board unit is configured to communicate with other vehicles to increase an accuracy of a lane centerline determination of a road that the vehicle is traveling. The vehicle on-board unit basically has a vehicle path history generating section, a two-way wireless communications section and a lane centerline determining section. The vehicle path history generating section generates a host vehicle path history data indicative of a travel path of the host vehicle. The two-way wireless communications section receives a preceding vehicle message that at least includes a preceding vehicle path history data indicative of a travel path of the preceding vehicle along a lane that the host vehicle is currently traveling. The lane centerline determining section determines a lane centerline of the lane that the host vehicle is currently traveling based on the host vehicle path history data and the preceding vehicle path history data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Tengler, Ronald Heft
  • Patent number: 8279083
    Abstract: A vehicle information communication method is provided in which at least one of host vehicle probe data and surrounding vehicle probe data is collected in a host vehicle. After collection, the data is transmitted to a carrier vehicle. The carrier vehicle then disassociates identifying information from the data before sending the data to an external communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Steve Tengler, Ronald Heft
  • Patent number: 7742603
    Abstract: An anonymous vehicular broadcast system that has encrypted links between the roadway infrastructure and the vehicles. The vehicles each have a common private key that is generated from a certification key, provided by a certification authority, and a configuration key that is generated at each power up of the vehicle. The configuration key is not stored in the vehicle so that the vehicle is only stores a portion of the private key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2010
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Tengler, Scott Andrews, Ronald Heft
  • Patent number: 7739031
    Abstract: A vehicle on-board unit is configured and arranged to report an estimated time of arrival and an accuracy indicator for an estimated time of arrival from historical estimated time of arrival information. The vehicle on-board unit basically has a destination input section, a historical data input section and an estimated time of arrival reporting section. The destination input section is used to enter a destination point. The historical data input section provides historical estimated time of arrival information based on a plurality of actual motorist travel times to the destination point. The estimated time of arrival reporting section reports to a user an estimated time of arrival and an accuracy indicator for the estimated time of arrival from the historical estimated time of arrival information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Tengler, Kenneth Ramirez
  • Patent number: 7734050
    Abstract: A wireless vehicle and infrastructure system is described that allows for utilization of a quasi-anonymous common private key/digital certificate pool, such that all vehicles are authenticated to the system, but no one vehicle/user can be readily identified during their use of the system because of their use of set of common private key/digital certificate pairs that are assigned to each vehicle from the pool and are common across multiple vehicles. Vehicle/user anonymity is only temporarily removed during vehicle/user re-authentication and re-issuance of new common private key/digital certificate pairs from the pool in the wireless vehicle and infrastructure system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Tengler, Scott Andrews, Ronald Heft
  • Publication number: 20100045481
    Abstract: A vehicle information communication method is provided in which at least one of host vehicle probe data and surrounding vehicle probe data is collected in a host vehicle. After collection, the data is transmitted to a carrier vehicle. The carrier vehicle then disassociates identifying information from the data before sending the data to an external communication device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2009
    Publication date: February 25, 2010
    Applicant: C/O NISSAN TECHNICAL CENTER NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Steve Tengler, Ronald Heft
  • Patent number: 7668644
    Abstract: A vehicle fuel informational system is provided with a fuel level determination component, an onboard vehicle positioning component, an onboard vehicle navigation component and a low fuel notification component. The fuel level determination component determines a fuel level of a host vehicle equipped with the vehicle fuel informational system. The onboard vehicle positioning component determines a host vehicle's position of the host vehicle equipped with the vehicle positioning component. The onboard vehicle navigation component provides vehicle route information for a desired vehicle route of the host vehicle. The low fuel notification component provides a low fuel alert notification that is indicative of a low fuel and automatically recommends a suggested fuel provider at least partially based on at least one of the host vehicle's position of the host vehicle and the desired vehicle route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Tengler, Ronald Heft
  • Patent number: 7609174
    Abstract: A vehicle information communication system is provided in which probe data or other private data relating to a host vehicle can be collected with anonymity. Basically, the host vehicle collects the probe data and sends the probe data to a carrier vehicle that disassociates the host vehicle's identifying information (e.g., MAC address) from the data before the carrier vehicle sends the probe data to a roadside unit or other external communications station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Tengler, Ronald Heft
  • Patent number: 7606662
    Abstract: A vehicle navigation system is provided with a destination input section, a travel route information section, a historical data input section and an expected travel time reporting section. The travel destination input section is provided for entering a destination point. The travel route information section provides at least one potential travel route to the destination point. The historical data input section provides historical time information based on a plurality of actual motorist travel times to navigate various travel routes. The expected travel time reporting section reports to a user an expected travel times based on the historical time information for a potential travel route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Tengler, Anthony Baehner
  • Patent number: 7554435
    Abstract: A vehicle on-board unit of a host vehicle is configured to communicate with other vehicle to alert the driver of a potential braking situation in a preceding vehicle. The vehicle on-board unit has an incoming message receiving section, an incoming message relevancy section and a driver warning section. The incoming message receiving section receives a preceding vehicle message containing throttle release data of a preceding vehicle located in front of the host vehicle. The incoming message relevancy section performs a relevancy determination of the throttle release data received. The driver warning section selectively alerts a driver of the host vehicle of a potential braking situation of the preceding vehicle based upon the relevancy determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Tengler, Jack Auflick
  • Patent number: 7548173
    Abstract: A vehicle on-board unit of a host vehicle is configured to activate its brake lights upon determining a vehicle traveling condition exists that is indicative of a potentially inadequate safety zone between the host vehicle and a following vehicle. The vehicle on-board unit has a vehicle traveling condition detecting section, an automatic brake light triggering section and a brake light activating section. The vehicle traveling condition detecting section detects the vehicle traveling condition indicative of a potentially inadequate safety zone. The automatic brake light triggering section outputs a brake light activation signal upon determining a predetermined condition has been satisfied based upon the detected vehicle traveling condition. The brake light activating section activates the brake lights without a braking operation being performed upon receiving the brake light activation signal from the automatic brake light triggering section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Tengler, Jack Auflick
  • Patent number: 7523000
    Abstract: A vehicle pre-collision countermeasure system is provided has a communication component, a rear collision predicting component and an acceleration countermeasure component. The communication component conducts a direct communications with other vehicles, including broadcasting vehicle parameter identifiers of a host vehicle equipped with the communication component and receiving vehicle parameter identifiers of a following vehicle. The rear collision predicting component predicts a likelihood of a potential rear collision event occurring in the host vehicle based on the vehicle parameter identifiers of the following vehicle. The acceleration countermeasure component accelerates the host vehicle in response to the rear collision predicting component predicting that the potential rear collision event is likely to occur with the following vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Tengler, Ronald Heft
  • Publication number: 20090096598
    Abstract: A forward vehicle brake warning system includes an incoming message receiving component, an adverse driving condition obtaining component, an incoming message relevancy component, a relevancy adjustment component and a driver warning component. The incoming message receiving component is configured to receive hard brake messages from neighboring vehicles located within a prescribed communication region around a host vehicle. The adverse driving condition obtaining component is configured to receive driving condition information affecting drivability of the host vehicle. The incoming message relevancy component is configured to perform a relevancy determination of the hard brake messages. The relevancy adjustment component is configured to adjust the relevancy determination to selectively filter the hard brake messages received depending upon the driving condition information. The driver warning component configured to alert a driver of the host vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Applicant: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Tengler, Ronald Heft
  • Patent number: 7486199
    Abstract: A forward vehicle brake warning system includes an incoming message receiving component, an adverse driving condition obtaining component, an incoming message relevancy component, a relevancy adjustment component and a driver warning component. The incoming message receiving component is configured to receive hard brake messages from neighboring vehicles located within a prescribed communication region around a host vehicle. The adverse driving condition obtaining component is configured to receive adverse driving condition information affecting drivability of the host vehicle. The incoming message relevancy component is configured to perform a relevancy determination of the hard brake messages. The relevancy adjustment component is configured to adjust the relevancy determination to selectively filter the hard brake messages received depending upon the adverse driving condition information. The driver warning component configured to alert a driver of the host vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2009
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Tengler, Ronald Heft
  • Patent number: 7444227
    Abstract: A vehicle communication system is provided to facilitate meeting our people in nearby or neighboring cars with similar interests, desires or wants. The vehicle communication system has a host vehicle two way communication device, a host vehicle personal data storage component and a host vehicle personal data matching component. The host vehicle two way communication device conducts direct short range communications in a host vehicle broadcast area surrounding a host vehicle. The host vehicle personal data storage component broadcasts at least some of a host vehicle user's personal data and receives nearby user's desired profile requirement via the host vehicle two way communication device. The host vehicle personal data matching component compares host vehicle user's desired profile requirement that is based on the host vehicle user's personal data with the nearby user's desired profile requirement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Tengler, Ronald Heft
  • Patent number: 7439853
    Abstract: A system and method for determining a traffic condition of a vehicle includes receiving status information of a plurality of vehicles, the status information including at least a speed of the respective vehicle. An average speed is determined according to the speed included in the status information of a first group of vehicles among the plurality of vehicles satisfying a first condition. An indication of the determined average speed is provided to a driver of a first vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Tengler, Ron Heft
  • Patent number: 7437232
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling a speed of a vehicle includes detecting whether a cruise control setting of a first vehicle is active and receiving, at the first vehicle, position information of a second vehicle, the position information of the second vehicle including an elevation of the second vehicle. A value is determined that is representative of a difference in elevation between the first vehicle and the second vehicle based on the received position information of the second vehicle and an elevation of the first vehicle. A speed setting of the first vehicle is adjusted based on the determined value if the detected cruise control setting of the first vehicle is active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Nissan Technical Center North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Steve Tengler, Ron Heft